ACES ON BRIDGE
Dear Mr. Wolff:I picked up SPADES J-9-3, HEARTS K-J-4-2, DIAMONDS J-10-9-8, CLUBS 6-2, and my right-hand opponent opened one club. His partner responded one spade and raised opener’s two-no-trump rebid to game. I led the diamond jack, and declarer made 12 tricks. He would have gone down on a heart lead, finding my partner’s queen-10-fifth with the club ace as an entry. Should I have gotten this right?
— Working Principles, Great Falls, Mont.
ANSWER: Opening leads are not an exact science. Here, I see no need to embark on all-out attack with a heart lead into a strong balanced hand. I would try the diamond jack from the sequence as well, and let nature take its course. When I have a solid sequence, I find it hard to look beyond that.
Dear Mr. Wolff:How much is this hand worth: SPADES A-Q-10-9-5-3, HEARTS A-4, DIAMONDS Q, CLUBS A-K-6-3, after you open one spade and your partner responds one no-trump, nonvulnerable?
— Playing Strength, Waterbury, Conn.
ANSWER: Partner could be responding light at these colors, but I would still force this hand to game. Most 19-counts justify that, and although the singleton diamond queen is unlikely to be pulling its weight, the 6-4 shape, controls and good spade spots all argue for aggression. Jump to three clubs, natural and gameforcing.
Dear Mr. Wolff:What would you suppose partner has for this auction? Your right-hand opponent passes, as do you. Third hand opens one club, partner passes and your RHO responds one heart. That is passed to partner, who bids one no-trump. You hear two hearts from your right, back to partner, who bids two notrump.
— Creative License, Tucson, Ariz.
ANSWER: Partner can hardly have a normal balanced hand here. He would double for takeout with spade length and pass with heart length. He cannot be strong and balanced to pass at his first turn, so maybe he has both minors and is offering a choice between two no-trump and three of a minor.
Dear Mr. Wolff:When the auction starts with two hearts on your right and you double for takeout, what does a jump to three spades by partner show?
— Little Liturgy, Atlanta, Ga.
ANSWER: If you play two notrump as Lebensohl over the double, an artificial puppet to three clubs, advancer has multiple ways to bid spades here. He would bid two spades with a weak hand, so two no-trump followed by three spades is invitational, holding four. A direct three spades can be played as invitational with five cards (as opposed to four). If you do not use Lebensohl, three spades is just any spade invitation.
Dear Mr. Wolff:When should the director be called after something goes wrong at the table?
— On the Card, North Bay, Ontario
ANSWER: When an irregularity has occurred, it is best to call the director right away, or something may happen to complicate matters further. If you try to resolve the situation yourself, you may lose your right to a ruling. Note that once the irregularity is established, dummy should call the director if nobody else has done so.